Things got a little heated on Sunday between the Milwaukee Bucks and Houston Rockets for multiple reasons. Both Dillon Brooks and Rockets head coach Ime Udoka were ejected with under a minute remaining in regulation for arguing with the officials, but Brooks had been upset with the way the game was called for all 48 minutes. Everything started when Brooks fiercely drove to the rim, swinging his arms in a dangerous manner and striking Bucks forward Pat Connaughton in the face.
Originally ruled a basket by Brooks, the officials went to the monitor to review what occured due to Connaughton being hit in the face. Upon review, the referees ruled that Brooks “made an illegal act” on Connaughton while attempting to score. As a result, this play was deemed and offensive foul and play resumed.
This call did not sit well with the Rockets or Brooks simply because a similar act happened earlier in the game. While underneath basket and attempting to score, Bucks big man Brook Lopez swung his arms and struck Rockets guard Fred VanVleet in the face. No call was made here and VanVleet was shaken up as a result of the contact. After the game, Crew Chief Bill Kennedy was asked about the two plays and how they differed from one another.
“During live play we deemed that contact between Lopez and VanVleet was part of a normal basketball move therefore no replay review was triggered,” Kennedy told Jim Owczarski of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, via the NBA's pool report.
It is tough for officials to make all of the right calls during a game. This is why they are able to go to the monitor and check out certain relays to ensure that no hostile acts were made. Seeing as they did not go to evaluate what occured between Lopez and VanVleet, it came as a shock to the Rockets to see Brooks' driving layup reviewed and overturned.
Brooks was frustrated the rest of the game, ultimately leading to his ejection when he disrespected a game official by “using profanity” in the words of Kennedy.
“Very similar to the call they called on Dillon,” Udoka said in his postgame remarks regarding Brooks' foul. “Fred got elbowed too. One goes one way and one goes the other. I can see it from the opposite end and three refs can't see it right there.”
Brooks was also extremely unhappy after the game, calling out the officials and claiming that he is “sick” of the referees making bad calls when they are right in front of the action. Both Udoka and Brooks could face fines from the NBA for their public criticism of the officials from Sunday's game.
Follow Us
Subscribe